Safe or vault joint.



H. C. VON PHIL? SAFE OR VAULT JOINT APPLICATION FILED Iu 1,157,469. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

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HJ'ALMAR GASIMIR VON PHILP, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFE OR VAULT JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

" Application filed July 6, 1915. Serial No. 38,313.

To (ZZZ whom at m ay concern:

Be it known that I, HJALMAI: Casnnn VON PHILP, a citizen of the United States, residing at 108 North Seventh avenue, Bethlehem, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safe or Vault Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present application relates to safe and vault construction and particularly to the joining together of the different plates forming the walls of the vault. In many cases it has been found advantageous to build up the walls, tops and bottoms of vaults from several plates instead of a single one for each side. The reasons for this are many. It is for instance, easier to treat smaller plates in manufacture and consequently more \economical to use them than the larger ones. Transportation is also made easier, and handling of the plates and erecting the vaults is also facilitated, particularly as many vaults are erected after a building has been finished, providing only narrow passages and limited space for the workmen and the necessary machinery. The problem then is to make a vault or safe constructed from a number of comparatively small plates as strong and secure as one constructed with single plates for top, bottom and sides.

The object of the present invention is now to provide a joint for the vault plates, which is perfectly tight, secure and burglar-proof.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated one embodiment of my invention, and

Figure 1 shows a perspective View, partly in section of a vault, and, Fig. 2 a section of the oint itself in larger scale.

In the vault represented in Fig. 1, the front wall 10 is provided with the usual opening 11 for a door. The rear wall 12 and the side walls 13 support in the usual manner the flat or arched roof, which is here composed of two plates 14, 15, of which the latter has here been partly broken away.

To join-the plates together, I use a lapjoint, best seen in Fig. 2, with the two end or abutment surfaces 16, 17 cut perpendicularly or approximately so to the top or bottom faces 19, 20 of the plates and running right across the plates. The intermediary surface 18 runs in an inclined direction between the abutment surfaces 16, 17 both as regards to the latter as well as to the top and bottom faces 19, 20 of the plates 1 1, 15. Thus a tapered tongue is formed in both plates.

Bolts 21 with tapered heads 22, a square top 23 and threaded in the lower one of the tongues as at 2% are provided to draw the plates securely together. The plate 15, having the upper tongue, has corresponding holes, which are smooth bored and countersunk to accommodate the bolts. An essential feature is, that the bolt holes run perpendicular to the intermediate surface 18 of the lap-joint. It will thus be seen that when the bolts 21 are drawn up by means of a long wrench gripping the top 23, the abutment.

surfaces will be pressed together very tightly, even if the intermediate surfaces 18 of the two plates should not meet. lVhen all the bolts have been drawn up, the joint is dressed off and the projecting portion of the heads cut away, so that the plates will present an even surface. Tie joint will consequently be very difficult to detect, but even if it should be found by a burglar, there is no chance for him to pour in liquid such as nitro-glycerin or other explosive for breaking the joint or bursting the vault. The vault will therefore, be as inaccessible as one constructed with sides of single plates.

When using the expression wall in the claims, I mean to include therein the top as well as bottom and sides of a vault.

I clail 1.. A lap-joint for vault-walls, comprising a tongue on each plate to be joined, an abutment at the base and point of each tongue, said abutments being perpendicular to the main-plate surface, the intermediary surface joining said abutments running in inclined direction to said abutments, and means to draw said tongues together, said means acting perpendicularly to said intermediary surface whereby pressure is created at the abutments.

2. A lap-joint for vault-walls, comprising atongue on each plate to be oined, an abutment at the base and point of each tongue, said abutments being parallel, the intermediary surface joining said abutments running in inclined direction to said abutments, and means to draw said tongues together, said means acting perpendicularly to said intermediary surface whereby pressure is created at the abutments, said means comprising bolts having tapered heads engaging in corresponding holes in the tongue abutment at the-base and point of each tongue, said abutments being parallel, the

intermediary surface joining said abutnients running in inclined direction to said abutments, and ineansto draw said tongues together, said means acting perpendicularly to said intermediary surface whereby pressure is created at the abutinents, said nieans comprising bolts having tapered heads en gaging 1n corresponding holes in the tongue ofone-plate and prov ded with threaded ends engaging the threaded holesvin the tongue of the other plate, the screwiheads being provided with means for suitable engagenient with a'wrench for drawing up the bolts. 1

, 4. A vault wall composed of a plurality of plates, the adjoining edges of the'plates having correspondingly tapered tongues'terininating with inter-engaging abutinents, said abutinents running across the plates and perpendicular to their surface, said tongues having alined bolt holes drilled in perpendicular direction to said taper, the

holes being tapped in one plate and provided with conical countersink in the other plate, and suitable bolts for said holes, said bolts having fiat faced projections on their heads whereby the bolts may be drawnup tight,

thus creating pressure on said abutnients.

. I 5. A vault-wall composed of a plurality of plates, the adjoining edges of the plates having correspondingly tapered tongues terminating with inter-engaging abutments, said abutnients running across the *plates and perpendicular to their surface," said tongues having alined bolt holes drilled in perpendicular direction tosaid .taper, the

holes being tapped in one plate and pro vided with conical countersink in the other plate, and suitable bolts for said holes, said bolts having fiat faced projections on their heads whereby the bolts may be drawn up tight, thus creating pressure on said abutinents, the projecting portions of the bolt heads being adapted to be cut away after Copies 61: this patent may be obtained forvfiv cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ham 1 Washington, D. C. I a V 

